<p>Sometimes the more responsibility that is thrust upon you, the more mature you become. You may in fact become more mature when you need to commute for an hour each day and figure out how to get things done while you’re on campus, etc. Or you may become more mature when you have to handle your problems yourself and your parents are far enough away.</p>
<p>Sometiemes the dorms remind me of little day-care centers. You know, food always being prepared for you (it’s all prepaid for too), employees cleaning up the bathroom, all bills being already taken care of. But I think there are some aspects that force you to grow, mostly the no parents thing (doing your own laundry, meeting deadline yourself).</p>
<p>Living off-campus certainly makes you more mature. You have to get and make your own food, acquire your own furnishings (bed, couches, chairs, desks, tables) commute a little bit, pay for utilities, set up cable/ internet, keep everything clean yourself - you know basically live like an adult.</p>
<p>But anyway, I’m in Australia studying abroad right now (in an apartment - I have to cook/ clean but they come furnished) - but uh… most local Australians live in a dorm or in student apartments - so it’s pretty close to America in that regard.</p>